


Aftermath - Epilogue Shorts

by madlibs



Series: Aftermath - Louise Shepard's story [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-01 03:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4004350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlibs/pseuds/madlibs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stand alone drabble adventures of Louise Shepard after the events of the parent fic, Aftermath. Sharkarian-centric. These are all just good fun; set as complete but always adding to it</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ambush

**Author's Note:**

> Deleted chapter from Aftermath

Shepard’s last few weeks on earth were, surprisingly enough, peaceful. She mostly just had paperwork as she met with team leaders for the 103 and got the whole division rostered. She’d already deployed Team Zeta, since even though they were combat engineers their skills were desperately needed at the rebuild for Arcturus Station. 

Aside from that she spent most of her time with Biotic Company, helping Jack get them prepared for their 103 training which would also be part of the victory tour. They needed to be, as the motto went, ‘able to storm any beach on any planet’, and it was another show of friendship among races to have her most promising young soldiers go through training with their militaries on their planets. She wanted to make sure they could at least hold a rifle first though, which thank the heavens someone had taught them that much. 

Her peace lasted until three days before the Normandy’s launch ceremony. She’d been packing up for the day, leaving on time since Garrus was picking her up for one of their ‘last earth dinners’ as he excitedly referred to it, but as she got off the elevator she realised her way was blocked. 

Her blockade was a relatively short man with a receding hairline and dark sunglasses, but the reason she couldn’t just shove her way past was that as she came off the elevator he turned on the camera floating beside him. A reporter. Great. How much did she want to bet that he was live streaming this somewhere. She narrowed her eyes and he smirked like he had cornered her.

“Good Evening, Admiral Shepard, I’m glad you could make time for us”

She fought so hard not to sigh, walking up to him and setting her briefcase down by her feet before folding her arms behind her back, not returning the pleasantry. This was like Khalisa all over again.

He looked to his camera, “This is Roger on the Road here with our famed femme fatale Rear Admiral Shepard, ready to answer all your burning questions!”

She narrowed her eyes, recognizing the name. This was the lead reporter for one of her favourite stupid tabloids and the main driving force behind the horribly inaccurate (not to mention baselessly dramatic) ‘Vakarian Zorah marriage’ chronicle. This would either be extremely entertaining or the worst few minutes of her life (and that was saying something). She tried to send telepathic messages to Garrus to get him to save her, almost missing the first question he’d finally asked her

Roger started strong, trying to slip her up early she guessed. He must not interview marines or diplomats often “So are you hoping to follow in your father’s footsteps then, Admiral?”

Shepard almost gagged at the gross grin he was giving her, but she kept her calm diplomat face on “My father was a Special Ops soldier from Mars. Considering I’ve taken over the 103rd Division, he would be proud to know I surpassed him”

“Then the rumour of your mother and Admiral Hackett’s affair is hearsay?” it looked like he was trying to actually be a reporter for now. She didn’t like him not giving her mother the title respect she deserved though.

“Yes. I was born on Arcturus Station in April of 2154, to Nathan and Hannah Shepard. Operations Chief Shepard was killed in action in 2176 and Admiral Shepard is now a respected Alliance leader. Hackett and she are colleagues. This information is available publicly at any Alliance personnel terminal”

The look on his face told her that he hadn’t expected her to handle this so well. Added with the omission of her mother’s admiral title she guessed that he wasn’t too keen on women with power. Perhaps this would be fun

“Thank you for clearing that up, Admiral. Our first viewer question asks, ‘Since you’re a Spacer with no real home planet, where do you plan to retire to after your service’”

She furrowed her brows at such an….easy question, “I’m not sure. I do consider Earth my home planet, though,” she smiled just a little, “a beach might be nice”

“Just a beach? By yourself?” she shrugged noncommittally and he hurriedly continued before she could answer, “Then it’s true that you’re planning to remain celibate to commemorate the fallen in the Reaper War”

Well. That went from zero to sixty. It took everything in Shepard not to laugh, biting the inside of her cheek before answering cooly, “As….commendable as such an action would be, I’m afraid it’s not true. I’ve been in a relationship for a long time now, I’d prefer to keep it that way”

She worried for a moment about whether she had stopped poor Jerk Roger’s heart; his eyes were wide and for once he was quiet enough that she could hear the pinging of what must be live viewer questions to his omitool inbox. He stumbled on his words, excited for a breaking story but clearly taken off track of whatever he was trying to con her into saying, “How long is a long time??”

Shepard had to think about that for a second. When was her and Garrus’s starting point, exactly? Neither of them did the whole anniversary thing, they’d always been too busy to pay attention or figure out which day actually was day one…..but roughly, she supposed “It’s been almost 5 years now. Since 2185”

“Thats a….real commitment. Why have you kept someone supposedly important to you a secret for so long!”

He was trying to break her, make her seem like a liar or...who knew, but the last thing she’d allow some sleaze in a cheap suit to do was tarnish her reputation. She folded her arms, “I haven’t. We were fighting a war, and then we were recovering from it. It seemed awfully inappropriate to make some large statement about ourselves while we were trying to help our respective races rebuild”

“So you have a secret, alien relationship then”

“Its not a secret, I wouldn’t tell you on a live cast if it were” she was starting to get snarky now, resentment bubbling in her stomach. 

“Most definitely not a secret, dear.” Garrus came around Roger then to settle a hand on the small of her back, and she finally sighed in relief, “I hate to break up the party but the Admiral is late for our dinner date”

Roger paled and she could almost see the meltdown that was coming. He would lose all gossip credibility for being so horribly wrong about Garrus, and she couldn’t help but smile. He tried to speak up for another barrage of heated questions when yet another saviour came her way in the surprising form of Diana Allers

“Better pack up Rog, its my turn and some of us need to get news that isn’t half a decade old” Diana smirked, and the defeated growl that came out of Roger had Shepard coughing to hide her laughter. He shot a glare at each woman before shutting his camera down and stomping away

Shepard shook her head as she picked her briefcase back up, smiling to Diana, “I owe you one, Allers. I was starting to think he’d follow us home”

“My pleasure as always, Admiral. But I do need your opinion on Salarian hostilities toward Krogan expansion before you run off into space again” 

Shepard went to agree, but then glanced up at Garrus, who still had his hand comfortably on the small of her back, and was patient and kind as ever to the business that always seemed to try and weasel its way into their time together. He had always put her first, and so long as she wasn’t working herself to death, never protested against her workaholic nature. Not only was it only fair to put him first, she found its what she really wanted to do.

“Tomorrow morning, my office. I’ll give you a full hour” She offered, and she could tell the idea was optimal by the flicker of excitement over Diana’s features; she never could pass up a full interview, not with the kind of ratings even clips from it could get. Shepard chuckled, “I should go. We’ll talk later, Allers”

“And she pulls out the Shepard catchphrases. You’d better be ready Admiral!” Diana sighed, amused still, as Garrus chuckled and lead Shepard off, “Ah you’re both lucky you’re cute”


	2. Short Aunt Shepard

Louise loved Garrus so very very much. She loved every bit and piece of him and she would definitely NOT kill him over a high heeled shoe. This was her mantra of the evening as she ran around their Citadel apartment in her cocktail dress and bare feet searching desperately for the match to the strappy high heel in her hand. Technically the desperate search, which was going on a half hour long, wasn’t Garrus’s fault after all. It was just his fault that she felt the need to wear them and he was the only adult around that she could take the frustration out on.  


Garrus just chuckled from where he sat on the couch, going over some work on his datapad since he was ready to go in his dress blues. Turian fashion was limited but whenever he saw Shepard dart around frantically like this he was suddenly glad for fewer options. He looked back to her as she dug through the front closet, again, “Lou, just wear your other shoes the sitter will be here soon”

Louise’s head popped out of the closet, a glare on her face, “I know that all too well, but I am not going to this party a full foot shorter than my boyfriend!” 

“But you spend every other day a full foot shorter than me and you’ve never complained” he set the datapad down and got to his feet, looking around a moment and realising what was missing aside from a shoe

“There aren’t cameras and reporters and diplomats and a bunch of other equally giant turians every other day to remind me that I’m vertically challenged,” she protested again, Garrus peeking around the couch and into the next room as she continued, “You know, I’m not even short for a human! I’m pleasantly average! In fact I was too tall until I hit high school!!” she groaned in frustration coming out of the closet again only to see Garrus looking over the kitchen counter and scowling, “Are you even listening to me? I have some important complaints her--”

“Louise, where did Mordin go” 

She froze then, letting that sink in. Mordin, the 6 year old Krogan staying with them while Wrex took care of clan business on the Citadel, was not the type of toddler you ‘lose’ so to speak, even in a considerably large apartment like this. Not only because he was a krogan, and thus loud and large, but he was also teething again as his back teeth were coming in. She’d been glad to know krogan teeth don’t fall out like humans (which both Wrex and Garrus found terrifying to hear) but they do teethe a lot longer with their larger mouths and nothing was off limits for chewing on. Just that afternoon she’d been yanking Mordin off the railing to the stairs as he chewed on the bars, quarantined their cat for its own safety and they’d already decided to just give up and buy a new couch….

“Okay. He’s 3 feet tall and more than hundred pounds, he’s either gone or destroying something” Louise rationalized, glancing around the living room again before rushing past, “I’ll go check upstairs!”

Garrus sighed, they were never going to get to this party on time. He moved to check towards the back of the apartment, looking in the study and under as much furniture as she could image a krogan could fit under. Desk, tables, behind the bar...no where. Not at the conference table and not in the spare…..ah. That’s when he heard it. The distinct gnawing sound that would probably haunt his dreams and have him thanking the spirits Louise had never taken him up on the adopting baby krogans plan.  


He slid open the door to the bathroom, finding Mordin laying on the floor in a pile of shredded toilet paper and towels, with Louise’s missing shoe in his mouth. “Oh boy,” he muttered, kneeling down to brush the shredded toilet paper off his hard forehead plate, then with a groan picking up the heavy krogan toddler and chuckling, “You better hope your Aunt Shepard remembers how much she loves you, kid. Lou! I found him!” 

He headed out to the living room, seeing Louise charge down the stairs in pure worry and panic, rushing up to make sure the little Krogan wasn’t dead or hurt. The concern lasted only a moment until she registered that her shoe was still in his mouth. 

Moments like these were ones that fascinated Garrus. He watched as her whole thought process played out on her face and in her eyes. She tensed, face hard with anger as she takes a deep breath, as if reminding herself something. She bites the inside of her cheek, containing herself, lets out that deep breath in a sigh and shakes her head before looking up at Garrus and saying, “You’re the one who’s telling Wrex that he likes human women’s footwear”

He laughed out loud, Mordin looking at both of them like they’re insane, as she stomps back off upstairs to find new shoes and calm down. Garrus set Mordin down on the couch, patting the kids head, “I can’t wait till you’re taller than her, too”

“I heard that Garrus!!”


	3. Party girl

It was a pretty well known fact that Shepard did not like parties. From the getting dressed up to the awkward socialising to the too fancy food; it was easier to pull her teeth out than get her into a dress for an event. Garrus had asked her why once and she’d just brushed him off, but it was more the fact that she didn’t know what to do with herself. She felt out of place and ever since the war people had never treated her the same, so especially at a regular fancy party like this with mostly civilians, she tended to either draw unwanted attention or be avoided. 

This party was for an older turian gentleman who was retiring from C-SEC after serving most of his life there. He’d actually been the man who trained Garrus, so he’d been invited and Shepard dutifully tagged along as his date. She’d imagined that this would be a lot more introductions and old buddy cop stories, but her presence seemed to derail into talk of war and her current work, which though Garrus was involved in was not what the Turian had been excited about all week. So for the sake of both their moods, she’d slipped off into a corner of the room, leaning against a small cocktail table and watching from afar as Garrus got the chance to reconnect with his fonder memories of C-SEC and his youth. 

She was still no expert on turian expressions and the nuances of their body language, but she did know her Garrus. She smiled faintly just watching how happy he was, like a kid just getting back to school after the summer vacation. 

“Iss nice that you do that” 

Shepard jolted upright at the sudden slurred words next to her, turning quickly to be met with a very drunk Ashley. She sighed, leaning back on a table, “What are you doing here Ash? And where did you find so much alcohol??”

Ashley groaned, leaning her head on the table, “Spectre bizzz, ya know?”

“I’ve never had a council mission that involved getting drunk at a C-SEC party” Shepard quipped 

“Thas cause I am the fun Spectre. You are the settled down not cool Spectre” Ashley snorted at her own joke and Shepard rolled her eyes

“Yeah, I’m the one who’s not cool. Aren’t you settled down too? James Vega ring a bell?”

Ashley groaned and folded her arms over her head, mumbling ‘i dont know’ over and over for a few seconds before speaking properly, “I guess. Maybe. I love him? And he gets along with my sisters? But like…..howwww do you know?”

Shepard fought off a grin, calling up her own omnitool so she could hack into Ashley’s and change the alarm settings to a bright and early wake up with the Alliance anthem, “How do you know what Ashley”

None the wiser Ashley continued, “That you wanna do the whole...forever thing. Share your stuff and die together. You have the forever thing Skipper how do you know its the forever thing”

Stopping her fiddling with Ashley’s settings, Shepard actually thought about that question for a moment. How _did_ she know her and Garrus had ‘the forever thing’....she looked out at Garrus, talking with his former co workers and with that laugh that she would know was his anywhere and wondered how she knew. Did she really? She shook her head instead, “I don’t. I just know that my life isn’t anywhere as good if he’s not in it, so its worth the risk”

Ashley stayed quiet a moment, tossing the idea around in her alcohol addled brain, slurring quietly after some time, “Wut made you so shure skipper”

Shepard, still watching Garrus, knew the answer to that one at least, “After Kasumi and I recovered her partner’s greybox, when I had to decide whether I could let her keep it or not. The look she gave me, pure fear of losing Keiji all over again and relief when I told her to keep it….the idea that there was something like that out there so important to her that she would give up everything even for glimpses back at what had been actually didn’t seem like such a far off idea to me. I realised that I’d felt the same when Garrus took that missile to the face. I was just lucky enough that he got back up”

That made Ashley quiet again. She did mumbled to herself, something about James and a missile to his face. She was quiet for so long that Shepard actually thought she’d fallen asleep and had gone to try and maneuver her so she could take her home when Ash bolted upright, proclaiming loudly, “I’m going to marry James Vega!!”

“Uh, Ash, good for you, but you really need to--”

“And I’m keepin my las name! Williams to the end!!!”

“Oookay LC we are going for a nice long walk to your apartment”


End file.
